Senior Programming & Partnerships Officer

We have an exciting opportunity to join our project teams in the Somerset Coast and Countryside portfolio. This role will focus on engagement for two separate projects in our portfolio, the Exmoor Coast project, and the Mendip Landscape project.   

In this role you will be responsible for shaping and delivering the project's goals for engagement with the wider community. This will include activities such as: Creating and maintaining good relationships with external stakeholders e.g.  ecological groups, schools, or charities. Organising and delivering community events, to share stories of the project work to a wider audience.   

This is a full-time role that will require you to split your time between 2 projects. You will spend 3 days a week on Exmoor Coast and 2 days  on Mendips. Where you base yourself as your hub office can be flexible.   

If you are interested in this role being a split as a part time role, where you will only work on one project for 2 or 3 days a week, please contact James.Mcwilliam@nationaltrust.org.uk. We are open to this; however, it would depend on if we can fill the role part time for both projects.

We are an ambitious team working at the forefront of landscape and nature restoration. In this role, you will sit in the Visitor Experience team and will have close links with both the Land, Outdoors and Nature Project teams and Countryside teams.   

The Exmoor Coast project is large scale, looking at restoring one of the longest stretches of coastal woodland in the UK, improving access to all and developing real inclusivity in the countryside.   

The Mendip Landscape project is driving true partnership working across the Mendip 'super' NNR, to deliver 'landscape scale' grassland and woodland restoration for the local communities of wildlife and people to enjoy and thrive within.   

Location can be flexible, there will be occasional home working and very occasional weekend working when events are on.  

The project managers will be looking for support in the delivery of the project aim:

"To connect our visitors and communities with the landscape, to tell the story of our restoration work and inspire people to care for the environment"

You will have responsibility for engaging communities, visitors, local groups, schools, and other project stakeholders with the work our team are doing across both projects. 

 This will involve:

• Developing strong and long-lasting relationships with local stakeholders.
• Mapping opportunities across the project lifetime. 
• Programming events and engagement activities. 
• Forming relationships with National Trust tenants. 
• Working with volunteers and ecological groups.
• Creating a sense of community around the project.
• Working independently as well as with others to deliver project aims.
• Maintaining good communication with the project manager about your work.
• Developing good internal team relationships.
• Participating in the wider portfolio activities and culture.

Who we're looking for:

• A charismatic and engaging member of the team with great people skills.
• Adept at forming and maintaining strong relationships externally and internally.
• Strong independent planning skills, able to prioritise actions and manage upwards.
• A basic understanding of project delivery and working on a project team.
• A basic understanding of countryside management or nature restoration work preferred but not mandatory.
• Experience working with community groups preferred but not mandatory.
• Experience working with volunteers preferred but not mandatory.